In just two years under Curt Cignetti, Indiana has established itself as a college football powerhouse, and a key element of the program’s back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances is how well Cignetti and his staff develop the quarterback position.
In 2024, the Hoosiers got a fantastic season out of Kurtis Rourke in his final year of eligibility, then in 2025, they took it up a notch. Cignetti dipped back into the transfer portal for Fernando Mendoza, and a Heisman Trophy, Big Ten Championship, and No. 1 overall seed in the CFP later, Mendoza looks poised to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That means Indiana has to do it again. Only this time, Bloomington will be an even more coveted destination for transfer QBs who want to be the next Mendoza. Granted, the next Mendoza is already on the roster, Fernando’s younger brother, Alberto, a redshirt freshman QB, but the starting job at Indiana won’t be passed down so easily.
Three top targets have emerged as potential Fernando Mendoza replacements. So, I’ve ranked them in order of who is the best option for IU, not the most likely.
The rumor mill has Brendan Sorsby connected heavily to Texas Tech and at the top of the transfer portal QB market, which means he will command about $5 million for one year. That’s a reasonable price to pay for one of the cleanest quarterbacks in the country. Sorsby doesn’t take sacks, doesn’t turn the ball over, and his mobility with his large, compact frame adds a devastating element to the offense.
Sorsby is reportedly going to test the NFL Draft waters as well, and there’s a chance, in this QB class, that he could sneak into the back of the first round. If that’s the case, he might be off the board for Texas Tech, Indiana, and everybody else.
Two years ago, Leavitt was something of a game manager for an Arizona State team with an elite run game, and that was enough for the Sun Devils to make the CFP. This past year, however, he had greater responsibility in the ASU offense. That allowed him to display more of his playmaking ability as a scrambler and out-of-structure thrower, but also led to more sacks and turnovers.
Leavitt has NFL potential, and Indiana has proven to be excellent at developing QB talent, so it would be a great spot for the redshirt sophomore before leaving for the league. However, he’s likely to be swayed by Miami, LSU, or one of the other top bidders in the portal, and it’s not a certainty that Indiana can match their spending power.
Josh Hoover has one of the better arms in college football. He can spray the ball all over the field from the pocket. However, the TCU quarterback leaves something to be desired as a decision-maker. Because he can make every throw, oftentimes he tries to, and that can lead to interceptions.
In the right offense, with big physical receivers, like Charlie Becker, who can win at the catch point and bring down the 50/50 balls that Hoover throws up, he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Hoover has been connected to the Hoosiers since entering the portal, and is the most likely option to replace Mendoza in Bloomington.
He may not have Heisman Trophy upside, but Hoover can absolutely get the Hoosiers back to the CFP if he does make his way to the reigning Big Ten champs.